NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two Metro Police officers are being hailed as heroes after rushing to the aid of a man who had been hit and seriously injured Monday morning by a bus in downtown Nashville.
Officers Dontaveous Eubanks and Eric Wegener were downtown working a side job as security for the Music City Central bus station at 8:30a.m. when a person came inside to tell them someone was laying on the ground, possibly hit by a bus.
When the officers came out, they found the man laying in a bus turn around with obvious injuries to the leg.
"He was just laying on the ground in what they call the horseshoe, it's like a turn around for the buses," said officer Wegener. "It was basically severed from the knee down. He had severe lacerations, broken bones from the knee down. He was bleeding pretty bad."
That's when training kicked in for both officers. Eubanks distracted the victim by keeping him talking while Wegener began to apply a tourniquet to the man's leg. It's a skill he learned in the MPD academy.
"They definitely make sure you know what the tourniquet is for, how to apply it, when to apply it and they stress the importance of it. Luckily I was able to see the importance of it that day," he said.
Wegener said it was clear the man they were helping was in shock. He reported feeling no pain from the injury, expect a little back pain. Shortly after the tourniquet was applied, first responders arrived on scene and took the victim to Vanderbilt. A trauma doctor told police that the tourniquet likely saved the man's life.
Wegener said he doesn't feel like a hero.
"I've had a couple of my friends say it to me," he said. "I haven't really told a whole lot of people about it, not because I'm not proud of it. I'm proud of what I did and I'm glad I was there, but, this isn't an isolated incident. There's men and women in this department that do incredible things every single day and they just don't get the recognition. I didn't want to almost hold myself up higher than someone else. I'm just helping someone who really needed help in that moment. So, I'm just glad I was there."
Wegener said it's just important for people to understand that the number one reason a police officer does the job is to help people. Don't hesistate to call for help if there's trouble.
"No matter who you are, if you need us, we're coming, and we help you no matter what the situation," he said.
